Beet-topping machine.



No. 777,396. PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904. WILLIAM D. BUGHTEL, SR. 6/: WILLIAM D. BUGHTEL, JR. BEST TOPPING MAGIFIINEu APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Iifo. 777,396.

UNITED STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. .BUCHTEL, SR, AND V TLLIAM D. BUCHTEL, Jlt, OF BRADY,

. N EBRASKA.

BEET TOPPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,396, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed June 10. 1902.

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that we, VILLIAM D. BUOHTEL, S12, and WILLIAM I). BUOHTEL, J r., citizens of the United States, residing at Brady, in the county of Lincoln and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Beet-Topping Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a beet-topping ma chine, and more particularly to that class IO adapted for topping beets while the same are in the ground.

The object of our invention is to provide a machine for topping beets and to construct the same in such a'manner that it may be propolled by horse or other power and operated with the greatest ease.

With these and such other objects as may hereinafter appear our invention consists in the particular construction of the various parts and in the novel manner of combination and arrangement of said parts, all of which will be more fully described, and speciiically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this speci' fication, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a seetional View of one of the cutting-blades. Figs. 1 and 5 are detail views of the hanger arms and braces.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 1 represents oppositely-disposed runners cut away, as shown at 2, and provided upon their faces with suitable irons 3 and 4. These runners are braced together with arch shoe-irons 5, 6, and. 7, one of which,'the arch '7, is braced to the runners by irons 8 and is adapted to support a seat 9. Pivoted to the forward ends of the runners upon their opposite sides are corresponding hanger-arms 10, which are bent opposite the cut-away places 2 at right angles, as shown at 11, and are provided upon their free ends with detachable ball-bearing cutting-blades 12, held in such a position as to cause their cutting edges to overlap by means of an arched brace 18, connecting the l1anger arms 10, which arms and cutting-blades are further braced and made adjustable by corresponding angle-irons 1 1, pivotally connected to the hanger-arms by one end and braced together bya transverse screw-threaded rod 15,

Serial No. 111,076. (No model.)

provided with nuts 16 and 16". The other ends of the angle-irons 1a are pivoted to a lever 17, mounted upon the arch 6 and provided with a hand-operative spring-actuated pawl 18, adapted to engage a semicircular ratchet 19, also mounted upon the arch, thus providing means whereby the cutting-blades may be adjusted, both laterally and vertically. Secured at the forward end and upon the opposite sides of the runners are corresponding guide-rods 20, adapted to straddle the row of beets and to guide them to the cutting-blades Having thus described our invention, What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a beet-topping machine, the combination with aframe adapted to be drawn on the ground, of disk cutters arranged horizontally and their edges working together,arms 1O pivoted at one end in said frame and their other 7 ends curved downward and carrying said cutters, and means for adjusting the arms higher or lower, as shown and described.

2. A beet-topping machine, comprising the sled having runners out out as described, disk cutters arranged horizontal with their edges adjacent, curved arms 10 pivoted at one end and carrying said cutters at the other end, vertical arms 14 connected with said curved arms, a curved hand-lever pivoted in a support and pivotally connected with the arms 14., and a locking device for said lever, as shown and described.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a sled having a portion of 5 its runners cut away, two corresponding hanger-arms pivoted at one end between the runners and bent at right angles opposite the cut-away portions, circular ball-bearing cutting-blades mounted upon the free ends of 9 the hanger-arms, arched braces connecting the hanger-arms, a lever pivoted to the brace, and means for locking the lever, substantially as specified.

VlLLIAM D. BUCHTEL, Sn. WVILLIAM D. BUCHTEL, J 1

W'itnesses:

W. J. lfinvnr, A. B. (limwronn. 

